


ensemble problems

by oogenesis



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gestalt (Transformers), Hive Mind, just me mucking around with how combiners work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27491923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oogenesis/pseuds/oogenesis
Summary: “Guys,” said Hook wearily.  “Enough of this.  Synchronicity exercise time.”
Relationships: Constructicons & Prowl
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	ensemble problems

**Author's Note:**

> i love how the constructicons get their own overall character tag. really emphasizes the whole gestalt thing in a really cool way.

The problem with downtime was that Devastator wasn’t good at thinking. Or, well, that wasn’t entirely true, he’d become a lot better at thinking ever since he’d gotten that new head—it was that he wasn’t _made_ to think. For an unstable experiment made up of six minds fused together such as himself to work, those minds all had to be in agreement, and that worked best when things were simple. See a punch coming, dodge it. Hear an order, obey it; or don’t, and punch something different instead. Everything firing like the cables of a muscle cylinder pulling in unison. On the rare occasions he had to just sit around like this—and let’s face it, no one ever assembled a giant killing machine of an unstable weapon with the intent of having him _sit around_ —that was when things started to eddy and swirl. Minds going their separate ways. Thoughts diverging, colliding—the delicate unthinking balance upset, individuality restored, and Devastator as a person fell apart until the next time he was needed. That hadn’t been quite as much of a problem before, when everyone had been on the same page, before a raw new element had been introduced—yeah, especially one so prone to all that thinking! No wonder he-we-they were getting introspective! Oh, please—(sharp spike of disagreement, cutting away from the increasingly discordant harmony)—if not for me-him-Prowl you-he-we-they would all be dead by now, a little gratitude wouldn’t hurt—

“Nice going, Prowl,” said Bonecrusher sarcastically, as they all resurfaced into their own bodies; Devastator’s mind falling quietly apart like a sand castle in water.

“I wasn’t the one who started it,” sniffed Prowl. 

Devastator’s chin was still cupped boredly into his right hand, and Scavenger took the opportunity to clumsily jab a finger into his cheek to hear Prowl yelp in irritation. It was _hard_ , that kind of motion. Combiner alt modes were meant to be moved by a collective consciousness, five minds working in unison and pooling their gestalt programing into a single whole; moving on one’s own in such a state was like having to re-learn how to walk.

“Hey, watch it, Scav,” came Mixmaster’s voice up from down below, “we’re sharing a body, we all feel that shit.”

“Guys,” said Hook wearily. “Enough of this. Synchronicity exercise time.”

Mixed groans.

“No buts! Okay, on my countdown, we all count to six, team effort, you know the drill. Three two one—”

Tense silence.

“One,” said Long Haul dubiously.

More silence. Prowl gave a sigh clearly meant to convey that this sort of thing was beneath him, and said “Two,” at the same time Bonecrusher said “Two.” Groans from everyone else.

“Try again,” said Hook. “Three two one—”

“One,” said Scavenger.

“Two,” said Bonecrusher.

“Three,” said Hook and Prowl at the same time, and there were more groans.

“It’s always Prowl that messes it up,” complained Long Haul. “Cause he’s new.”

“Give him time,” said Hook. “Prowl—take this seriously. Maybe that will help.”

“It’s a _game_ ,” muttered Prowl. 

“It’s an exercise to help us all get back on our feet,” said Hook, one of said feet, sternly. Devastator’s body was still frozen in the positon they’d left him in, even his expression unchanging—it wasn’t Prowl that made the facial expressions, it was Devastator. “All right, three two one—”

“One,” said Prowl.

“Two,” said Hook.

“Three,” said Scavenger.

“Four,” said one of them, who was maybe Long Haul; it didn’t really matter.

“Five,” said Devastator, eyes blinking back online. “Six.”

He climbed to his feet and stretched, testing the joints between his components. Everything seemed to be running smoothly now, six hims in unison. One was a little twitchier and testier than the others, but that was normal these days, although it did sometimes give him headaches. That took a while, he thought, amusement and reproach mingling together, and then got up to find what he could go and punch.

**Author's Note:**

> i just think combiners are sooooooo interesting. probably gonna end up writing a lot about the combaticons once i read taao
> 
> the exercise they did is one of many i used to do in theater camp aimed at promoting ensemble awareness and working as a group! another was to have everyone walk around and around in a circle and through unspoken communication all try to jump at the same time, as many tries as it takes. i think stuff like that would be really useful to a gestalt
> 
> ik this was just a little thing but please leave a comment if you liked it thank you!!!


End file.
